1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to handheld electronic devices and, more particularly, to a handheld electronic device having facilitated telephone dialing. The invention also relates to a method of facilitating telephone dialing on a handheld electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Numerous types of handheld electronic devices are known. Examples of such handheld electronic devices include, for instance, personal data assistants (PDAs), handheld computers, two-way pagers, cellular telephones, and the like. Such handheld electronic devices are generally intended to be portable and thus are relatively small. Many handheld electronic devices also feature wireless communication capability although many such handheld electronic devices are stand-alone devices that are functional without communication with other devices.
Cellular telephones and other devices that provide cellular telephone capabilities often are used in automobiles, frequently while the telephone user is driving the automobile. A user typically must take his eyes from the road to perform a telephone dialing operation, which is undesirable, even if it happens only momentarily. Cellular telephones are also used when walking and doing other activities, and a user typically must look at the telephone to perform a telephone dialing operation, which is likewise undesirable. While cellular telephones oftentimes can store telephone numbers for later recall, such recalling of stored telephone numbers still requires the visual attention of a user. Even if a user can dial a conventional telephone keyboard without looking, certain telephone devices can include an unconventional keyboard that might require the visual attention of a user, which can likewise be undesirable.